Strengthening Families: A Community Conversation about Family and Intimate Partner Violence

Roanoke, VA – Join Roanoke City Council Member Sherman Lea on Sept. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall, as he hosts a community event in conjunction with local agencies that provide services to address and prevent domestic violence. The event titled, “Strengthening Families: A Community Conversation about Family and Intimate Partner Violence” is designed to bring government agencies and service providers together with the community to identify strategies that enhance domestic violence services.

“Domestic violence does not only affect those involved, it impacts the entire community. We as a community need to work together to bring awareness to this taboo issue and identify best practices for strengthening families,” says Council Member Lea.

The community conversation will feature John Turnipseed, the director of The Fathering Center in Minneapolis, Minn. As a child, Mr. Turnipseed witnessed domestic violence in his home and was exposed to other criminal activity within his family. As an adult he was incarcerated for his involvement in criminal activity. The event will also include roundtable discussions regarding different aspects of domestic violence. The recommendations from these discussions will later be presented to a domestic violence task force created by Council Member Lea.

The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided. For additional information, contact Aisha Johnson, Assistant to the City Manager, at (540) 853-2333. Media representatives who plan to attend the event are asked to contact Ms. Johnson in advance.